i am really into my crockpots right now. i actually have 2. and i use them both all the time..... several times this season i have used my crockpot to slowcook something that i was going to preserve for the winter. it really does seem too good to be true. but it isnt. i use the slowcooker on the high setting, put everything in, as the canning recipe specifies, and i walk away for a few hours or 5, come back, put into hot sanitized jars and can in the water bath for the specified amount of time. there was... Continue reading

i started this adorable sweater ohhhhhh, about 4 years ago. i wasnt doing so well with the lace pattern for some reason and ended up ripping it out except for the cabled collar. it has stayed in my ravelry queue waiting to be resumed. everytime i looked in my yarn stash, this yarn made me feel guilty because it was just sitting there. i had a terrible feeling i would end up taking it to goodwill in 20 years, completely unused. i tried to find something else to do with it but i didnt have enough for any other project... Continue reading

i began noticing Crosby's interest in art when he was around 13 months old. he was constantly taking my pens and trying to imitate my constant writing (i am a list maker and constant journaler- is that a word???). i went out and got him a mixed media sketch book and some decent crayons. similar to these. we did some coloring and made finger paint. (recipe below) then when he seemed interested in a small watercolor set that he recieved from the library, i made some liquid watercolors for him to paint with. since then, our art has expanded and... Continue reading

our library trips lately have been fairly epic. the new book section appears to be freshly stocked in the kids room the last few weeks and this means lots of stacks of books around the house....... and lots of "buuuk" aka book, "mowwww" aka more, and geeeen aka again. sometimes i am busy doing something when these requests are being made. sometimes i feel like reading something a little more compelling than that of "go dog go". but i never ever turn down a request for book reading. books have proved to be a source of comfort, inspiration, entertainment, and... Continue reading

we spent a fair amount of time on the road this summer. we visited so much family for extended periods of time. we backpacked. we canned 75 pounds of roma tomatoes. we swam. we wrote, and wrote some more. we picked berries. we visited friends. we made friends. we played farkle. i knitted a few sweaters. i sewed a few shirts. we tore out our bathroom. we built half of a new one. we i are am forcing ourselves to be ok with unfinished projects. we read books. and more books. and we went to the library on days when... Continue reading

picture mostly unrelated....... so it turns out that on crosby's birthday, he pretty much felt terrible. i was initially disappointed x 100 that his birthday was so sad, compared to the thoughts that i had in my head of how we would celebrate it: with a hike, and fish for dinner. (two of his most favorite things at this time.) i just wanted to celebrate it a certain way because, really, it was the beginning of the new us. the new family system. and i wanted it to be a happy and eventful day that cody and i would talk... Continue reading

last year at this time, i was holding a sweet and precious hours old newborn baby crosby. i still havent forgotten that holding that floppy little body for the first time and flowing with emotions that i had never felt before. i will never forget holding the tiny bundled baby and hoping i would never have to do anything ever again beside hold that tiny baby in my arms. crosby has never ceased to amaze us with his greatness. i mean really, i cant tell you enough that crosby has truly been one of the sweetest and most joyful beings... Continue reading

so the past few weekends have been just the sort of weekends i have needed most. both were made up of relaxation and productivity. truth be told, i have been a bit preoccupied with a project here in my little land. and that project is a new quilt for my boy for his first birthday. which is coming up next week. on valentines day. also known as my baby boys first birthday. so, i deemed it fit to begin sewing him a quilt 2 weeks before, cause that's just what i do. so, the knitting has been put down and... Continue reading

about a month ago, cody and were out alone, enjoying some sushi that was i think made from perfection, and then some beers made from awesomeness. something about being out alone without crosby made us think of a few of our favorite memories, prechild. this visit from the past was surely because we were at a place that we most likely wouldnt bring crosby, and this place was a place where would go in the years pre marriage, and prebaby, and prehomeownership, and pre real jobs. read: during college. we remembered all of the decisions, mistakes, and awesome times. we... Continue reading

it would in fact be true that i have been m.i.a. from this space for the last couple of weeks- much to my disappointment. the past few weeks have zoomed by. which has caused me a wicked case of trying to compile memories from the last few weeks in a matter of minutes. because, you see, i have an obsessive need to keep track of all of my memories. which i do in this very book: daily i try to sit down and catalog at least one memory from the day. one little moment that i hope i can remember... Continue reading

a few simple gifts for christmas. the pear and hat were knitted by me. pear was knitted from itty bitty toys book, and i added some bells inside so that it would be appealing to such a rattle lover. the hat was made from this aviatrix pattern. a wooden knob puzzle and a book from us. abc blocks from a family friend. a few small wooden trains from a cousin. a wooden xylophone and a tambourine for this music maker lover boy was perhaps his favorite gift. another favorite? this walker wagon from nova naturals. which he is crawling with.... Continue reading

daily tour of the grounds begin like this: wanna join us? first stop, watering pail. beets: kale, still growing strong: looking up: looking down: and we're off: Friday was a beautiful sunny day. by the time crosby and i got home, it was a bit overcast. that didn't stop us from our daily tour of the grounds. crosby has gone from laying on a blanket outside..... to sitting up attempting to reach the nearest sticks and rocks...... to scooting to get a stick........ to crawling to find the biggest stick and most dirt...... to speed crawling around our house for... Continue reading

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small note: hillary had a post today that rings oh so true to me right now, as well as kyrie and this post from buttons magee. Continue reading

last night: one finished turkish bed sock. sometimes things just are and they are hard. and there really isn't a win win situation- or at least there isnt an instant win win situation. and you just have to do. and continue doing. until things just aren't anymore. and then they are just what they are, and you look back and it all didn't really seem so hard after all. and everyone is happy. and it all just becomes a small and good memory. ************ i am going to enjoy the journey for a bit, even though it doesn't feel quite... Continue reading